CT Angiogram before DIEP surgery

Penycoed
Penycoed Member Posts: 5
edited August 2016 in Breast Reconstruction

Hello

I am having bi lateral explant and DIEP surgery in September and have an appointment for a CT angiogram in two weeks. Can anyone tell me what happens at the CT?

Thanks

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited August 2016

    Hi Penycoed, and welcome to our community at Breastcancer.org!

    We took this from another site:

    A CT angiogram (CTA) is a special type of CT scan that evaluates the blood flow in the abdomen to determine if the required blood vessels are intact and able to be used for DIEP flap reconstruction. It can also provide a "road map" for the surgeon and help locate the larger blood vessels (perforators).

    Would be interesting to hear how others have experienced this procedure.

    We're thinking of you!

    The Mods

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  • NancyHB
    NancyHB Member Posts: 1,512
    edited August 2016

    penycoed - I had the angiogram CT about a month ago prior to my DIEP. I found no difference between that and a "normal" CT, except this one was actually quicker. The rads tech had me hold my arm straight up in the air to help facilitate the quick flow of the contrast, necessary to map the blood vessels. I thought the whole thing was easy-peasy, and hope you do, too

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  • grandma3X
    grandma3X Member Posts: 759
    edited August 2016

    I just had a CT angiogram. They put an IV into my arm and then did 2 CT scans - 1 before injecting the contrast solution and the other one after injecting the contrast. When they injected the contrast dye, I felt very warm and my heart raced for a minute or so but this went away pretty quickly. It took about 30 minutes for the whole thing. I went back to work afterward without any problems. The IV didn't even leave a bruise, and I bruise very easily!

    The contrast dye is somewhat harsh on your kidneys, so it is important to have your doctor check your BUN and Creatinine levels before doing the CT. And then ask the doctor before having the CT whether your kidneys are ok - seems like overkill but my mother went into kidney failure after having a CT with contrast because her doctor forgot to check her labs. The radiologist will also ask if you have any kidney problems or renal insufficiency. If you do, they can give you something that will protect your kidneys from the dye (my mother didn't get this because she didn't know that she had renal insufficiency....). Then be sure to drink a lot of water before the CT and for a couple of days after the CT to wash out the contrast dye.

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  • Penycoed
    Penycoed Member Posts: 5
    edited August 2016

    Thank you everyone for the information! I helps to know what to expect before a procedure and now I do!👍

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